A number of route changes affecting services in the Dún Laoghaire area of Dublin came into force on the 13th November 2016. The routes affected were:

Route 7: Ammended route and timetable

Route 7A: New route

Route 7B Ammended timetable

Route 7D: Ammended route and timetable

Route 8: Withdrawn

Route 59 Ammended route and timetable

Route 63 Ammended route

Route 111 Ammended route and timetable

The following maps show the routes before and after the service changes (click on the maps for larger versions).

Map showing the routing of these Dún Laoghaire services prior to the network changes (click on map for larger version).

Map showing the routing of these Dún Laoghaire services after the network changes (click on map for larger version).

This feature looks at each of routes individually, with photos on the last day of the old routings and the first day of the new routings.

Route 7/A/B/D Changes

Donnybrook's SG111 is seen departing the Loughlinstown Park terminus on the first new 7A departure, the 0800 on the 13th November 2016.

Its seldom that a route changes number without extensions, ammendments etc.. One rare example was the 42/A, the 42 being the former Coolock route while the 42A was the Malahide route. They switched in 1953, with the 42 becoming the Malahide service. Yet, this incredibly rare event was exactly what happened to route 7 to Loughlinstown Park on the 13th November 2016, when it was renumbered route 7A. No routing differences exist to the route taken on the 12th November, not a single new stop served or old stop omitted.

Donnybrook's SG228 is seen on the last day of Route 7 in Sallynoggin/Pearse Villas on Pearse Street on the 12th November 2016.

The main difference was a reduction in frequency, basically from 3 buses an hour to 2, with the former 1xRoute 7 bus an hour to Cherrywood, becoming 2 buses an hour to/from Bride's Glen. The Bride's Glen terminus is directly at the Luas terminus, a great connection. This new Route 7 avoids Sallynoggin/Pearse Villas, sticking to the Sallyglen Road (previously unserved). Sallynoggin is left for Route 7A departures. The 7 also avoids Blackrock into the city, sticking to the Blackrock By-pass as per Route 4, but does serve Blackrock Main Street on outbound departures.

Donnybrook's SG15 is seen at the Bride's Glen terminus about to operate the first ever departure of Route 7 from Bride's Glen on the 13th November 2016. The terminus is bleak to say the least, but if you pan right from this photo, you are looking directly at the Luas Bride's Glen terminus.

Donnybrook's SG113 is seen operating Route 7A on Newtown Avenue Blackrock on the 14th November 2016. Only Route 7A serves this road, with 7's operating directly. The plan was to avoid this road entirely.

I find these changes to Route 7 confusing. Firstly, why wasn't Route 7 left as Loughlinstown, with the new 7A the direct service to Bride's Glen. This would have avoided confusion. Why does Route 7A have both diversions, firstly around Sallynoggin, and then into Blackrock, while the 7 goes direct. This will easily add 10-15mins onto Route 7A, exactly how far the 7 is behind, which will cause bunching. Avoiding Newtown Avenue in Blackrock was an appropriate move, the NTA should have stuck to their original concept and both routes should have stuck to Blackrock By-pass, albeit new stops should have been provided closer to Temple Road. But why avoid Sallynoggin/Pearse Villas. The 7 is not the most direct route to the city from Cherrywood, the 145 being a quicker service. So the 7 in this area should be considered a more local service. Yes, the residents of Churchview have a quicker service to the city, but I would consider Sallynoggin/Pearse Villas as the principle catchment area of the service, and not a needless diversion. I would have had both routes through Sallynoggin, and none through Blackrock into the city.

Donnybrook's SG18 is seen on Marine Road operating Route 7 on the final day of the Cherrywood terminus on the 12th November 2016.

Donnybrook's SG15 is seen on Pearse Street operating new Route 7A on the 13th November 2016.

The final changes affecting the 7 group of services was to Routes 7B and 7D. Interworked into the 7 boards, the services offer direct services via Stillorgan QBC to Shankhill and Dalkey. The 7B had an ammended timetable, while the 7D also had an ammended route. Upon introduction these routes both served Kill Lane and Foxrock Church, however a few years ago Route 7B was ammended to serve the new road linking Stillorgan Park with the TK roundabout, while the 7D remained on its former routing. Route 7D now turns right at Baker's Corner, off Kill Avenue to Abbey Road, and follows Route 7B's routing into the city.

Donnybrook's SG110 is seen at one of the new stops on the Sallyglen Road operating Route 7 on the first day of the new service on the 13th November 2016.

End of Route 8

Donnybrook's GT95 is seen at the Dalkey terminus of former Route 8 on the last day of Route 8 service on the 11th November 2016.

It's unusual to bid farewell to a route twice. Yet, last week this is exactly what we did for Route 8. Having being the premier service of tramway days, a service known to nearly all Dubliners, it fell away in service levels in the 90s to the busier Route 7. Yet its withdrawal on the 14th July 2001, came as a bit of a shock. The surprise announcement a few days before withdrawal was challenged all the way to the European courts, and after their ruling, Route 8 was reintroduced on the 12th December 2005. Having survived the first round of Network Direct in this area, it would have been assumed untouchable, but 15 years after its first withdrawal, the 8 is withdrawn once more.

Donnybrook's SG114 is seen at the Mountjoy Square terminus of Route 8 on the last day of Route 8 on the 11th November 2016.

The routing of the 8 as introduced in 2005 (see the map above) was strange, avoiding the busy sections of its former route such as Dún Laoghaire town centre. For this reason it was underpatronised in the Dalkey to Monkstown section, an approx. 90min frequency not sufficient to attract new custom along these otherwise unserved roads. SG30 was specially chosen for the final departure of Route 8, matching the fleetnumber of a much older, though spectacularly well kept, Route 8 bus that made an appearance. Unfortunately Dublin's awful Luas work traffic meant that it arrived in Dalkey late, however there was a little time for a few photos of the last departure of this historic route.

RA30 is seen beside Donnybrook's SG30, which had just arrived on the last service to Dalkey on the 11th November 2016. Its return to the city, just after this photo, was the last 8 journey.

Route 59 Changes

Donnybrook's AX613 is seen at the Marine Road, Dún Laoghaire, terminus of Route 59 on the first morning of the new route on the 13th November 2016.

The new 59 routing is principally just a short version of its former route, buses terminating at the original 59 terminus at Killiney Hill instead of just looping into Killiney Hill and then onto Mackintosh Park (a more modern terminus for Route 59). Buses no longer serve Albert Road or St. Catherine's Road, instead keeping to Barnhill Road between the Avondale Road and Dalkey. The connection between Killiney Shopping Centre and Killiney is lost, as is the service along the Rochestown side of the Johnstown Road. The 59 operates on an hourly frequency, with 30minutes per gallop between the termini. It would seem like a decent amount of time to operate the service, so hopefully won't suffer the delays of the old 59 service.

Donnybrook's EV92 is seen at the Mackintosh Park terminus on the Pottery Road on the 59's last day of service there on the 12th November 2016.

Donnybrook's EV35 is seen in Mackintosh passing the only stop within the estate on the last day of service to Mackintosh Park for Route 59 on the 12th November 2016. From this date, buses no longer serve the estate itself, hence this bus stop is no longer in use. The original Mackintosh Park terminus back in the early 70s was basically where the bus is standing but facing the opposite direction.

Mackintosh Park is no longer a terminus on the Dublin Bus network having been a terminus since the early 70s, except for a brief period in the mid-80s when it was unserved. The 63 now serves the area but no longer uses the estate itself to turn about, instead sticking to the Pottery Road.

Donnybrook's AX613 is seen at the Killiney Hill terminus on the 13th November 2016. There is something familiar about seeing Route 59 terminating at this location, the Sugar Loaf making its usual stunning backdrop.

Route 63 Changes

Donnybrook's AX640 is seen operating Route 63 on the Clonkeen Road on the last day of Route 63's service along this road, on the 12th November 2016.

With Route 59's withdrawal from Mackintosh Park, Route 63 has been diverted away from the Deansgrange area and instead operates straight through Baker's Corner, serving the entire length of Pottery Road, then onto Johnstown Road, Cabinteely By-Pass, turning then left returning to its former route serving the two shelters on Clonkeen Road outside Dunnes Stores Cornelscourt. Route 63 does enter Mackinstosh Park, and thus a new stop towards Kilternan near Mackintosh Park has been comissioned. Two further stops on the Pottery Road closer to the Johnstown Road have also been comissioned, the one towards Dún Laoghaire being the subject of the photo below. It is interesting that Mackintosh Park residents have basically returned to the service they had during the 70s and 80s with the former Route 58. Route 63 buses leave Dún Laoghaire via George's Street and York Road, and do a loop of Monkstown Farm before heading through Baker's Corner to Mackintosh Park. Unlike the old 58, ROute 63 continues on to Kilternan.

Donnybrook's AX619 is seen at one of the new stops on Pottery Road operating the first day of the new 63 route on the 13th November 2016.

Route 111 Changes

Donnybrook's EV96 is seen at the Ulverton Road, Dalkey, terminus of Route 111 on the first day of its service to Dalkey on the 14th November 2016.

The 111 saw fairly major changes in routing. The former service between Dún Laoghaire and Loughlinstown Park ceased on the 11th November 2016. This was a single universal, a single driver that covered an hourly frequency peak times only Monday-Friday. On the 14th November 2016 the new 111 began, with an hourly frequency all day/night Monday-Saturday, requiring two buses, operating from Dalkey to Bride's Glen. The 111 is interworked with Route 59, the buses operating Route 111 being 1/59 and 3/59.

Donnybrook's WV52, only very recently being equipped with an LED display, is seen operating Route 111 on the final day of the former route on the 11th November 2016. The location of the photo is on Glenageary Road Lower at the corner of Silchester Road. This location is no longer serviced by Route 111.

With Route 8's witdrawal from Dalkey, Route 111 was extended to Dalkey in order to provide a more frequent service from Dalkey to Dún Laoghaire. The 111 follows the 59 routing to and from Dalkey. Its first pick up is at Ulverton Road, but it also picks up at Hyde Road (see photo below), sharing this Dún Laoghaire bound stop with Route 59. It's around Dún Laoghaire that it begins to get unusual, serving Marine Road northbound while heading towards Loughlinstown and Bride's Glen, i.e. the opposite direction to Routes 7/7A also heading to these places. It then heads along Crofton Road and Clarence Street, but without any stops, before joining the 46A route at York Road, following this route until Glenageary Road Upper at which it turns left towards the Glenageary Roundabout where it rejoins its former routing at Sallynoggin Road. It still serves Loughlinstown Park, but now it performs a loop as opposed to terminating. It returns to the Wyatville Road, turning left onto the Dublin Road towards Loughlinstown Hopsital. It performs a u-turn at the roundabout, doubling back upon itself once again to the N11/Wyatville Road junction. It then turns right into Cherrywood and then Bride's Glen to terminate.

Donnybrook's GT20 is seen on the Wyatville Road having just served Loughlinstown Park on its way towards Bride's Glen on the 14th November 2016. Its left indicator is on as it is about to turn left onto the N11 slip road.

Donnybrook's EV96 is seen loading at the Hyde Road stop on Route 111 on the 14th November 2016.

The 111 is a bit of a poor routing choice in my opinion. Firstly, the service to Dalkey is not interlaced, in that Route 111 buses head to Dalkey at 10 past the hour, whereas Route 59 buses head at 20 past the hour. So is it really a frequency expansion between Dalkey and Dún Laoghaire, especially given the former 40-min frequency Route 59. In return the buses are spaced to provide a 30-min headway from Dalkey. In Dún Laoghaire, it doesn't serve the principle Route 7/A stops meaning it doesn't boost the frequency to these places. And then in Loughlinstown it has three loops in quick succession. Starting at Bride's Glen, why would you use this service? Maybe if you were going the short distance to Loughlinstown Hospital, but if you are going anywhere longer, you would surely take Route 7 which is more direct. And then it just takes passengers from the 59 service as opposed to offering a combined service to Dalkey. I can't see this route being successful. I would personally propose that if a diversion for the people of Sallynoggin via Monkstown is allowable, then why not just turn the bus right towards Dalkey and then operate as a 59 to terminate at Dún Laoghaire. At least an even headway could be provided. At a minimum double the 111 back upon itself at Marine Road so that it can serve the same stops as the 7/A.

Donnybrook's WV52 is seen at the main Marine Road stop on the 11th November 2016. The new route does not serve this very busy stop.

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